Jazz advance to next round
The Utah Jazz won its first playoff series since 2010 by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 104-91 on Sunday.
Gordon Hayward scored 26 points and the Utah Jazz easily eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday with a 104-91 victory, winning the first-round playoff series 4-3.
George Hill and Derrick Favors added 17 points apiece in Utah’s first postseason victory since 2010.
The Jazz advanced to face top-seeded Golden State in the Western Conference semifinals. The Warriors swept Portland 4-0 and have been waiting since Wednesday to find out their next opponent.
Game 1 is Tuesday in Oakland.
The Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan had 24 points and 17 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the series. Jamal Crawford added 20 points off the bench.
Chris Paul had 13 points for the Clippers, who were sent packing in the first round for the second straight year. Last season, they lost to Portland after Paul and Blake Griffin went down with injuries. This time, they didn’t have Griffin again after he was lost in Game 3 with a big-toe injury.
Paul couldn’t muster any of his fourth-quarter magic, either. He went scoreless with three assists in the period.
By then, the Jazz were well in command, ahead by 17 points and hardly feeling pressured by foul trouble for Rudy Gobert and Favors, who both fouled out. Gobert finished with one point in 14 minutes. Favors had 11
rebounds off the bench.
CELTICS 123, WIZARDS 111
Isaiah Thomas had 33 points and nine assists, and the Boston Celtics made 19 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards and take a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup. Thomas played just a day after attending the funeral for his sister, who died in a car accident last month outside of Tacoma, Washington. Al Horford added 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jae Crowder finished with 24 points. The Wizards were more energetic at the outset, jumping out to a 16-0 advantage and leading by as many as 17 points. But the Celtics rallied in the second quarter with Thomas briefly sidelined after getting one of his two front teeth knocked out.